How can your business learn from Apple's success?

The customer is the focus  

Many technology companies design products based on the latest available technological and digital advances, but Apple design for their customers. When Steve Jobs was designing the first iPhone and iPod he based the design on how he would use it, representing the real customer. He engrained his design philosophy with his engineers and designers that their mission was to create a product they couldn’t personally live without. Businesses should design their products and services with the customer's end goal in mind. For example, the iPhone incorporates the jobs of a communication device, a media player, a planner and email system all in one easy to use device.

Apple’s ecosystem 

Simply, Apple's products work together in harmony. Apple has created a closed system of connected iPhones, MacBooks, Apple watches and iPads which through the shared iOS are able to sync contacts, documents, photos and music. With each apple product a customer buys to add to their personal system, the total value for the customer increases due to the seamless integration of the products with each other. The Apple customer wants to buy the iPhone and a MacBook and an iPad due to the integrated product system. This has created high switching costs for consumers and a strong competitive advantage in a highly competitive market. 

Brand Community

Why do you think there is such strong rivalry between Apple users versus Android users? Why doesn’t this rivalry exist for people who buy from Zara versus people who buy from Topshop? It’s because Apple has created a brand community in which you feel a strong emotional attachment because you own an iPhone or MacBook. Apple has created a phenomenon in which customers associate their phone with their personality and identity. They have built this community of the basis of the sense of belonging that customer feel when they use Apple products, rather than building a brand army on Twitter and Facebook. This is extremely clever as it promotes even greater product use because the customer must first own an Apple product to be a part of the Apple community. In terms of your business, it is important that you first create a brand identity unique to your business, and then start small, know your audience and connect and engage with your audience.

What businesses can take from the Apple brand story is that a) design your offering around customer needs and goals, b) create a product system which creates a barrier against competition and lastly c) foster a community by building a strong brand identity and leveraging it to a central part of your customer’s life.